Patent Literature 1 describes an accelerator pedal unit that uses the hysteresis characteristic of a damper having a pair of cams to applies a suitable load to depressing of an accelerator pedal so that excessive depressing of the accelerator pedal is prevented and to reduce the burden on a foot of a driver who holds the accelerator pedal at an almost-constant position.
In this accelerator pedal unit, rotation of an accelerator pedal arm is transmitted to a rotating shaft of the damper through a transmission mechanism including a link member and the like so that bidirectional rotations of the accelerator pedal arm are damped. In detail, one end portion of the link member is fixed to the rotating shaft of the damper so that rotation of the link member causes rotation of the rotating shaft of the damper. On the other hand, an engaging member is fixed to the accelerator pedal arm at its opposite end portion across a rotating shaft of the accelerator pedal arm from the accelerator pedal. This engaging member is slidably held by the link member. Because of this, when the accelerator pedal arm rotates, the rotating shaft of the damper is rotated through the link member in the direction depending on the rotational direction of the accelerator pedal. Owing to the hysteresis characteristic of the damper, an appropriate load is given at the time of depressing the accelerator pedal while the load is reduced at the time of return of the accelerator pedal.